Next up this Friday afternoon, we take time to check out the Premier Punt game as I reveal my plans for the upcoming round of fixtures.

This Week’s Games

Once again Premier Punt are offering three big guaranteed pots for the full 10-fixture slate, the largest contest has a £350 pot with a £5 entry fee and it’s possible to enter three line-ups.

There is also a £130 pot for a £10 fee and for the high-rollers there’s a £20 contest for a chance to win a share of £175. There’s also a free £30 pot that’s possible to enter when playing any paid game, whilst the Challenge the Pundits contest is only £2 to enter and the team below will be going into that contest.

They also offer a unique single-game format for each fixture – these contests are quick to enter, with no budget and only five picks needed with at least one player from each team. I finished in the top five once again in the free game last week that covered Bournemouth’s win at Manchester United, so this time out I’m going to give this format some more attention. I will select five players for the match at St James’ as Newcastle welcome Villa looking for a third straight win and also for Southampton’s tie with Tottenham.

My Team

Jack Butland (7.3m) has been a solid Fantasy option for a while now, with his shut-out at West Ham last weekend also boosted by eight saves. Seven clean sheets in nine matches for the Potters makes me go for a double-up in defence, Philipp Wollscheid (6.4m) finding a place in the back three.

Liverpool’s loss at Newcastle in their last away tie was unexpected after they put seven goals past Chelsea and City in their previous two road trips. Alberto Moreno (7m) had a goal disallowed against the Magpies and could prosper at Watford, who have a poor record against top-half sides. Steve McClaren’s side are favourites against Villa, with the victory over the Reds followed up by a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane, and Daryl Janmaat (7.8) earns a spot on the back of those performances.

I’ve gone for a 3-5-2 this week with unappealing options up front but plenty of midfielders drawing my attention. I begin with a pair of Arsenal assets – Aaron Ramsey (11.7) has scored in the last two and served up and assist while Mesut Ozil (12.3) continues to be the main creative force at the Emirates with a 13th assist of the season arriving against Villa. They face a City side that have recently struggled on the road and are without a win in their last four away fixtures.

Newcastle’s stand-out midfielder this season, Georgiano Wijnaldum, is given a berth for the Villa match, having scored seven times in front of his home fans. I then opt for a differential in the form of Christian Eriksen (11.1), the Danish playmaker has quietly been racking up assists, picking up a seventh of the season against the Magpies and is a promising alternative to Harry Kane as Spurs travel to Southampton. Riyad Mahrez (8.7) completes the midfield – the Algerian’s away form makes him indispensable once again, even with a trip to Goodison this weekend.

Romelu Lukaku (12.2) is close to replicating Jamie Vardy in terms of reliability, having scored seven in six appearances for the Toffees – he should continue that run against a Foxes backline missing the suspended Robert Huth. Mauro Zarate (7.0) is the final selection. The Hammers frontman produced 13 attempts over his last three outings, whilst hosts Swansea have conceded 11 in their last five at the Liberty Stadium.

The Bottom Line

A second-place finish with 63 points in the £400 pot provided £60 – captaining Olivier Giroud paid off, as did the inclusion of goal scorers Junior Stanislas, Riyad Mahrez and Romelu Lukaku. Frustratingly, I was just a single point off first place, with Adrian Magnussen taking the £140 top spot. That puts me back over the £200 mark for the second time this season and leaves me on £231.08 ahead of Gameweek 17.

This Week’s Stake

I place two teams into the big £350 pot and also enter a team into the Challenge a Pundit’s £2 game – these also allows an entry into the freeroll contest. As mentioned above, I also enter two line-ups into single fixture games for £2 each.

Stake – £16
Current Balance – £215.08

If you would like to take me on in that £2 challenge a pundit game or try out PremierPunt’s unique single fixtures game sign up here.